Schuh joins retail Wi-Fi revolution

Schuh, the online and High
Street footwear retailer, recently announced it is to offer free Wi-Fi in its
stores as a way of better engaging with the smartphone-owning customers who are
currently driving 32% of its online sales.

The Wi-Fi service, provided by operator The Cloud, will be
available on all mobile devices allowing customers to browse the internet, use
social networks or access any other web-based services for free in schuh’s stores.

Extending product range

The service is being rolled
out in all of the retailer’s branded stores across the
UK, to enable shoppers to browse its entire product range, check stock and
reserve products online. It is designed to further increase convenience, while
also ensuring that customers are kept up-to-date with all that schuh has to
offer.

Research from The Cloud has
highlighted the growing mobile dependency of the modern shopper, with 73% of smartphone
owners having used their phone when shopping to check prices, look for offers
or use apps like Facebook, Twitter or Foursquare while in retail stores. The free Wi-Fi will
enable schuh to respond to this trend and ensure it does not miss out on the
benefits on offer to both its shoppers and the business itself.

Sean
McKee, head of e-commerce and customer services at schuh, stated: “Over the
past few years we’ve seen mobile devices enhancing instore shopping behaviour.

Offering
shopping convenience

“One
of the major benefits of being able to access free internet is that customers
can view our entire product range quickly and easily from their mobile – it
offers a way of maximising convenience for each shopper. In short, the free Wi-Fi
service means we are providing the best possible service and are of course
maximising sales potential.”